Optimasi Reduksi Gula dengan Glikosida Steviol pada Minuman Teh Manis dalam Kemasan

Abstract

Asupan gula berlebih merupakan kontributor utama peningkatan konsumsi kalori dan prevalensi obesitas, terutama melalui konsumsi teh manis siap minum. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengoptimalkan formula teh manis rendah gula dengan menggunakan glikosida steviol sebagai pemanis alami, dikombinasikan dengan maltodekstrin dan gum xanthan. Glikosida steviol (stevia) merupakan pemanis alami tanpa kalori dengan tingkat kemanisan sekitar 300 kali lipat dibandingkan sukrosa. Maltodekstrin berfungsi sebagai bahan pengisi, sedangkan gum xanthan meningkatkan mouthfeel. Pendekatan yang digunakan adalah mixture design dengan perangkat lunak Design Expert 13.0® (DX13). Respon yang dianalisis meliputi skor uji sensori metode different from control, viskositas, kadar tanin, pH, brix, dan warna. Produk kontrol dibuat berdasarkan kadar gula produk teh terpopuler di Indonesia. Setelah diperoleh formula optimal dan kontrol, dilakukan proses Ultra High Temperature (UHT) dan evaluasi sensori menggunakan metode spectrum descriptive analysis (SDA) untuk produk sebelum dan sesudah proses UHT. Evaluasi juga dilakukan terhadap kadar gula, kalori, dan harga produk. Formula optimal menurunkan kadar gula sebesar 2%, dengan komposisi 0,009% stevia, 0,029% gum xanthan, dan 1,962% maltodekstrin. Produk kontrol mengandung gula sebesar 7,7% per 100 mL. Evaluasi sensori menunjukkan tidak terdapat perbedaan nyata pada atribut rasa manis, mouthfeel, aroma melati, dan rasa sepat (astringency) sebelum dan sesudah proses UHT. Kandungan gula dalam formula terpilih menurun dari 7,68% menjadi 5,78% per 100 mL, sementara total kalori hanya turun dari 30,71 kkal menjadi 30,13 kkal. Harga formula terpilih sedikit lebih tinggi, yaitu Rp126,00 per kemasan 350 mL dibandingkan produk kontrol.

Excessive sugar intake is a major contributor to increased calorie consumption and the prevalence of obesity, particularly through ready-to-drink sweet tea. This study aims to optimize a low-sugar sweet tea formulation using steviol glycosides as a natural sweetener, combined with maltodextrin and xanthan gum. Steviol glycosides (stevia) are natural, non-caloric sweeteners with approximately 300 times the sweetness of sucrose. Maltodextrin serves as a filler, while xanthan gum enhances mouthfeel. A mixture design approach was applied using Design Expert 13.0® (DX13). The selected responses included sensory scores using the different from control method, viscosity, tannin content, pH, brix, and color. The control product was formulated based on the sugar content of the most popular sweet tea product in Indonesia. After obtaining the optimal and control formulas, Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processing was conducted, followed by sensory evaluation using the Spectrum Descriptive Analysis (SDA) method before and after processing. Further evaluation was performed on sugar content, caloric value, and product cost. The optimized formula reduced sugar content by 2%, with a composition of 0.009% stevia, 0.029% xanthan gum, and 1.962% maltodextrin. The control product contained 7.7% sugar per 100 mL. Sensory evaluation revealed no significant differences in sweetness, mouthfeel, jasmine aroma, and astringency before and after UHT processing. Compared to the control, sugar content decreased from 7.68% to 5.78% per 100 mL, while total calories dropped slightly from 30.71 to 30.13 kcal. The cost of the optimized formula was slightly higher, at IDR 126.00 per 350 mL package compared to the control product.